"So… no show?"
The redhead cupped her knees as she stood beside a girl, who, up until now, has been sitting by her lonesome on a sidewalk. The black mascara has turned to huge blots around the girl's swollen, red eyes; her lipstick smeared across her face and sleeves.
"I'm sure he… just got lost."
She chuckled dryly, trying hard to contain the occasional sniffles that would be unbecoming to the ideal self she has spent so long building.
"Weiss, it's been over two hours. Face it, he totally stood you u—"
"Shut up! Don't say it!"
She yelped, burying her face within the increasing creases of her expensive satin threads.
The redhead sighed as she dusted her rear, before plopping right next to her, scooting over just close enough as not to seem too nosy.
And then, silence.
For a good minute or two, they just sat there, averting eyes. A car would pass by every so often to break the monotony. With a random stick she found lying around, Ruby drew imaginary figure eights on the concrete, quietly thinking to herself why relationships, and dating, and stuff have to be such a hassle.
"Ruby, what's wrong with me?"
She finally asked.
"Guh. Do I have to? That's quite a tough sell," she replied a little hesitantly, nervously scratching her cheek with her index finger, which earned her a death glare.
"Hmm, I guess you're just… intimidating to most people? Your background and all. The whole ice queen thing you got going on. That is what you're going for, right?"
Weiss puffed her cheeks in protest, turning her nose the either way with an audible "hmph".
"Okay, sorry. I'm not really good at this whole rah-rah feel better stuff. Yang often tells me I'm the last person to ever give a eulogy and—"
Again, Weiss shot daggers at her.
"Right, enough with the quips. I tend to unconsciously do 'em when I'm nervous. Ha ha. Haah, look, Weiss, you're a lot of things, alright, but that dude was seriously crazy for ditch—"
"…"
"-Getting lost on you. Sure, you may be high-maintenance, sometimes whiny, a total downer, tend to be on your high horse…"
"Ruby!"
"But! But I know you're also a very caring person. That you'd look out for your friends, that you work really hard at everything you do. I know that there's this ginormous burden that you carry having to live up to your family's reputation – but you take it all in stride. You don't back down; you work through your faults. And you don't understand a lick about chores, and that's really adorable!"
The silver-haired girl stared wide-eyed at her, before breaking into laughter at how such a cheesy speech was delivered with so much passion. Ruby, redder than she's ever been in her entire life, tried her best to look proud of the utter lameness that had just escaped her lips.
"Ahem. So, in conclusion!" she cried out, her voice breaking, "It was totally Sir Dorky McDorkface's loss for having poor direction skills, and not taking a broad like you to somewhere, like say Jerry's that's just two blocks down the road, and is having this cool unlimited dessert buffet right now, and can-we-please-go-because-I'm-absolutely-starving-from-looking-for-you-all-afternoon?"
As if on cue, Ruby's stomach started to grumble, causing her to flash a toothy grin, before fishing out two crumpled up coupons from her back pocket.
"It's not exactly candlelight but…"
Weiss shook her head.
Trying her best to rub off the dried off tears and smeared make-up, and then smoothing out the wrinkles of her dress, Weiss then promptly stood up and did a small twirl.
"Do I look okay?"
Now, it was Ruby who stood up, as she put a hand on Weiss shoulder and gave a few pats, before stating matter-of-factly, "Ice Queen, as far as I'm concerned, you're the belle of the ball as long as a Triple Scoop Strawberry Frost Cookie Avalanche is on the table."
Weiss removed Ruby's hand from her shoulders, and then elected to forcefully pinch her cheek.
"You dolt."
The next day, Ruby and Weiss firmly agreed never again to go to unlimited dessert buffets.